2008 OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STUDIES PROFESSOR

Ina Midkiff is the Department Head of Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, and Real Estate.  She has taught at Austin Community College for over 20 years.  She earned a BBA and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Tarleton State University. Over the years she has served as Division Chair of Business Studies Division, Department Chair of Management, Associate Dean at Cypress Creek Campus, Assistant Department Chair of Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, and Real Estate and served as an officer of Austin Community College’s Faculty Association. She also has had several consulting jobs for small Internet companies. She teaches Advertising, Marketing, and Financial Management courses.

She received the ACC Teaching Excellence Award for the outstanding full-time faculty member (2004-2005) of the year in May 2005. She was the 2002 Piper Professor Nominee from Austin Community College.  In 1991 she received the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award at ACC and has been nominated several times as the outstanding full-time instructor at ACC by the Phi Theta Kappa student association.  Her professional affiliations include Texas Community College Teachers Association and the Southwestern Administrative Disciplines in Marketing.  She also serves on the YMCA Northwest Board of Directors.

Margie Shelnutt, Administrative Assistant
Austin Community College
Cypress Creek Campus
1555 Cypress Creek Road
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
Phone 1-512-223-2199
Fax 1-512-223-2089
Office 2204.1
Directory Listing
Email: shelnutt@austincc.edu

Margie has been with ACC for 19 years and in the Business Studies area for 18 years.  Her first position with the college was in the Professional Development Department. After a year she transferred to The Business Studies area where she has been the Administrative Assistant for the Financial Management, Marketing, and Real Estate Departments.  Recently, the departments and Margie have relocated to the Cypress Campus.

Margie has served on numerous ACC committees along with holding several officer positions within the ACC Classified Employee Association.  During her term as President of the Classified Association she campaigned for Stipends for Classified officers, equal cost living raise for all employees including frozen employees and helped to organize the first College-wide ACC Picnic and softball tournament.

Jason P. Ahrenholtz, Assistant Professor - Adjunct Faculty
Financial Management
Austin Community College
Cypress Creek Campus
1555 Cypress Creek Campus
Cedar Park, TX 78613
Phone: 512-223-1795 Ext. 26384
Fax 512.223.
Office: CYP3 2202.2
Direstory Listing
Email: jahrenho@austincc.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours
Webpage: www.austincc.edu/jahrenho

Jason Ahrenholtz joined the ACC faculty in Fall of 2008 as an Assistant Adjunct Professor in Financial Management.  Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wyoming.  Jason has been in the banking industry for 8 years and has held various positions with banks including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Prosperity Bank.  Currently, Mr. Ahrenholtz is a commercial lender and senior credit analyst for Proficio Bank.

Jason relocated to the central Texas area three years ago. Mr. Ahrenholtz is very active in the community and volunteers regularly with several non-profit organizations in the Austin area.  Currently, Jason is also an appointed board member for the Economic Development Corporation for Cedar Park.

Jake Costin, Adjunct Professor
Financial Management
Austin Community College
Rio Grande Campus
1212 Rio Grande
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 394-0111
FAX: 223-3427
Office: RGC6
Directory Listing
Email: jcostin@austincc.edu
Office Hours: Office hours
Webpage: http://www.austincc.edu/jcostin

Jake Costin has been an adjunct professor for Banking and Finance at ACC since 2005.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from California State University at Northridge.  Mr. Costin has been in the Mortgage industry since 1998, as a mortgage company owner, loan underwriter, loan officer, and loan processor.   Currently, he is the Chief Financial Officer and half owner of AMC Mortgage, LLC.

Vance E. Powell III, Adjunct Professor
Financial Management and Real Estate
Austin Community College
Highland Business Center
5930 Middle Fiskville Rd.
Austin, Texas 78752
Phone: 306-8179
FAX: 306-8179
Office: Classroom of Instruction
Directory Listing
Email: vpowell@austincc.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours
Webpage: http://www.austincc.edu/vpowell

Vance E. Powell III has been instructing part-time at Austin Community College for the past 3 years. Prior part-time teaching experience includes 4 years with the Society of Real Estate Appraisers and 6 years with the American College of Real Estate. Vance is an independent Fee Appraiser and Market Analyst. His appraisal experience encompasses all types of commercial and residential properties. Since 1973 he has been actively involved in numerous aspects of the real estate profession and is experienced in real property appraisal, acquisition, development, counseling, financing, management, and instruction.  He has testified as an expert witness in Bexar, Comal, Dallas, Harris, Travis, and Williamson Counties in Texas. Mr. Powell holds a BBA from the University of Texas with a concentration in Real Estate.  

He has been very active in serving in the professional appraisal associations being elected the local SREA Chapter President during 1987-1988. Other positions include 3 years as the Vice chair (1985, 1986, and 1987) on the National SREA Foundation and the National Continuing Education Committee, six years on the SREA Standard of Professional Practice committee, two years (1989-1990) on the AIREA Regional Standards Committee, 4 years on the Regional Standards of Professional Practice Committee for the newly merged Appraisal Institute, two years on the AIREA National Division of Professional Recognition Committee 1989-1990, and during 1991 he served on the Appraisal Institute’s National Public Relations Committee and was an elected one of the Chapter Regional Representatives.

Kathryn Schwartz, Associate Professor - Adjunct faculty
Financial Management
Austin Community College
Rio Grande Campus
1212 Rio Grande
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-327-7061
Fax: 512-223-3427
Office: RGC MAIN
Directory Listing
Email: schwartz@austincc.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours
Webpage: http://www.austincc.edu/schwartz

Kathryn Schwartz has taught at ACC for eleven years. Prior to that, she was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the College. Currently she instructs the following courses: Small Business Finance and Investing. In the past, she has also taught Personal Finance, and a number of Marketing and Management courses. In addition to teaching, she owns the Silver Papery: an Austin stationery retail store and e-commerce business.  She is actively involved in fundraising for several local charities.  

Ms. Schwartz holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master’s of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin. Her academic interests include small business creation and management, retail management, and the Stock Market. 

Scott Sims, Assistant Professor - Adjunct faculty
Financial Management & Real Estate
Austin Community College
Rio Grande Campus
1212 Rio Grande
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone 512-223-1795x26208
Fax 512.223.3427
Office RGC5 One-i
Directory Listing
Email: ssims2@austincc.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours
Webpage: http://www.austincc.edu/ssims2

Scott Sims is an adjunct professor in Financial Management and Real Estate.  He has taught courses in Marketing, Financial Management and Real Estate since joining the faculty at Austin Community College for the Spring Semester of 2007. 

Scott has been a licensed real estate agent for 25 years and a real estate broker for 22 years. He has had his own brokerage office in Austin for the past 20 years. He earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin in Real Estate and Finance in 1986.   Scott worked previously in his family's real estate business and taught real estate classes at Odessa College.